Irish pupils learn about the environment

Schools in Ireland will get new resources for educating children about the environment and climate change.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DOEHLG) have issued the educational packs to support teachers in educating pupils about the key environmental issues facing Ireland.

The resources form part of the CHANGE Campaign, Ireland's national awareness campaign on climate change. CHANGE partnered with the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education at St. Patrick's College, Dublin, who provided key methodological and curriculum-based specialities for the packs.

The multi-media resources are in both Irish and English languages and draw together creative ways to teach about climate change, primarily through geography and science. The pack covers key topics such as clean air and water, sustainable resource use and limiting and adapting to climate change.

DOEHLG minister of state, Ciarán Cuffe, praised the resources. He said: "The activities in the primary school workbooks will make the children feel as if they are real eco-detectives with lots of outdoor investigations and experiments for them to take part in.

"Learning about climate change and the environment should be appealing and fun and I believe these resources are the way forward in addressing attitudes and behaviour in Ireland today and for its future generations."

EPA director general, Dr Margaret Kelly emphasised the importance of educating future generations. She said: "The second-level resources are based around the EPA's vision of the Irish environment to the year 2020.

"By then lots of the students who will have used these materials in schools across the country will be young adults, well-versed in the values of sustainable living.

"My hope is that the resources will influence a generation of young people to have a lifelong passion for the environment." Alison Brown